- It's not often I find myself at a night that usually lends itself to the noise they're calling electro house these days. But since this past summer, Leeds monthly Filth has undergone a music policy change and is leaning towards the more tech house side of the spectrum. Reflecting this change were the headliners on this night, Butch and Tim Green.
As I entered the club at around half past twelve, it was already heaving with muscles and fake tans. The Ibiza season had ended well over a month ago, but nobody had told the crowd here. Nonetheless, my ears were pleased with what they were hearing. And one didn't have to try too hard to instead focus on the usual visual feast being served up by the impressive spectrum of illuminations of the Mint Club's "disco paneling" ceiling. Combine this with six cones of Funktion One, squeeze it all into a modest-sized space and you get an intense clubbing experience.
I hadn't seen either Tim Green or Butch play before, but from what I had heard, they both thrive as peaktime players. Green was on first and laid down a quickly paced tech house set that was epitomized by selections like Arado & Marco Faraone's "Strange Neighbours." Bouncy basslines and shifting snares dominated, as the crowd eagerly lapped up drop after drop. Two hours flew by before Butch took over from Green's own "Mr Dry."
It was going to be a struggle for Butch to follow this and for three-quarters of an hour, it seemed the crowd needed a break; there was barely a cheer to the beats that Butch was dishing out. The basslines were equally bouncy and comparable to those we had just heard—so comparable in fact that there was a repeat of "Strange Neighbours," yet there was little response. Then, as what I felt must have been a last resort, Butch dropped his re-cut of his own dance floor killer "No Worries." The two minute build-up followed by the truly thumping bassline, penetrating stabs and catchy vocal sent the crowd into a whirlwind of animated fist pumps. The intensity didn't let up from then on and, by the end of Butch's set, I was shattered.
There is no denying that the night was a success and I have no doubt that the loyal Filth go-ers loved it. I can't say I didn't enjoy it either, but for me, it lacked shape musically: the night began with guns blazing and then didn't stop firing for the course of the evening. Hopefully, once the new music policy has been refined, Filth can deliver a more well-rounded night that still maintains some of the "all or nothing" approach I witnessed on my first visit.